Welcome Home
by Elillierose
Summary: Coming home from another rough day at work, Gladio is fortunate to have someone so caring to come home to. 3rd place winner for my tumblr giveaway.


**Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake**

 **This is the third place winner prize for my 250 follower giveaway on tumblr. Will be doing another one shortly for hitting 300.**

 **Anyway, clearly romance and stuff isn't my forte, but I tried my best with this, and hope it isn't too jarring or awkward. XD Anyway, hope you enjoy, and the second and first winner ones will be posted soon enough. :D**

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Ignis took a deep breath, inhaling and relishing in the sweet aromas of the brewing beverage. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head back as he leaned against the counter. After a moment or two, the brunet cracked an eye open and gazed at the clock; a ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was almost time for him to be getting back, just in time for the tea. The adviser began pouring the steaming liquid into the cups just as the sounds of a car pulling up filtered through his ears. Before Gladio could even make it to the door, Ignis was strolling towards the living room, ready to place their cups on the table.

But, the man paused halfway there when he heard a slight struggle with the keys just outside the door and some frustrated mutterings, muffled through the wood. Tentatively, he stepped the rest of the way over and sat the cups down, then turned back to meet the shield as he finally pushed his way through. Ignis's features instantly faltered at the tight expression on the larger man's face.

"Gladio?" he questioned, by his side immediately with one hand hovering over his back. "Everything alright?" His brow creased in worry as he glanced the brute up and down, but nothing appeared to be out of place. That was, until he took a step, and there was a subtle yet obvious limp to his walk.

The shield gently shrugged the other away, doing so with a bit more force than intended. "Everything's fine, was just...a rough day," he muttered, dragging himself straight to the living room, wanting nothing more than to just drop himself in his chair and not move for the rest of the week. Ignis merely watched as the man moved, and he let out a heavy breath as he followed after him to occupy the chair next to his.

As soon as Gladio lowered himself with a pained grunt, the adviser plucked his cup off the table and handed it over. "Here, perhaps this will help you to relax," he offered. The larger man gave a small nod of thanks and accepted the drink with gratitude. "You want to talk about it? You know I'm always right here to lend an ear," he reminded with a soft smile.

For a moment, not a single word was spoken or uttered as he tried to sink deeper into the cushions, soaking in the comfort they brought. And, it wasn't missed the way his free hand would wander towards his left leg, fingers trailing over his thigh as they pressed against the muscle. And, he could only assume it was to attempt to work out some of the soreness. "Nah, it's fine, it was just...you know, the usual. It's nothing a hot shower can't fix," he assured as he took his hand away to reach over and place it over Ignis' slender one. "Thanks though."

The brunet released an unsatisfied exhale and shook his head. "You know, you can't always just deal with everything yourself right? That is what I'm here for, you can talk to me about anything. I signed up to help take some of that burden away the moment I said I do," he remained, other hand draping over the much larger and warmer one before giving it a reassuring and promising squeeze.

Gladio leaned his head back and let out a soft and amused chuckle. "You know damn well I can't say no to a face like that," he muttered with a shake of his head. Leaning up, he placed his now half-empty cup on the coffee table, grunting when the movement brought forth a sting of pain to his aching muscles. "The new recruits, I hate to admit it, but it seems as though we got a lot with potential this year. They definitely know how to hold their own," he mumbled, a hint of pride under his tone. "I don't know though, maybe they aren't getting better, maybe I'm just getting old."

"If that's the case, then so am I," Ignis replied. Then he cut his sharp gaze over, again noticing the way the man was unconsciously placing his hand over his leg. "How bad does it hurt?" he asked, brows raised and eyes set on Gladio's face. He was practically daring him to lie to him about this. They both knew the man couldn't get anything passed the adviser, man was like a living breathing lie detector.

"Enough for me to admit it hurts," he answered with humor rolling over his words. "It's not the worst though, nothing worth concerning yourself over."

Ignis just nodded his head before pushing himself back up, gently pulling his hands away. "In that case, I'll go prepare a bath, you just wait here and I'll let you know when it's ready. In the meantime, you just relax and enjoy the rest of your beverage," he offered, switching straight into caretaker mode with a snap. He leaned down to plant one single short and light peck on the other's forehead and caressed his cheek before letting his touch fall away as he carried himself down the hall.

He started running the water, allowing his hand to drift under the heated falls until he deemed it the perfect temperature and began filling the tub. As that was filling up, he took a quick peek down the hall to make sure Gladio hadn't moved from his spot. Then, with a sly gleam in his eyes, the brunet pulled one of the drawers out and retrieved a few of the candles and the matches. Lighting a few up, he placed them in various places around the bathroom, a few on the shelves around the tub and then a couple more on the counter. Next, he added a bit of bubbles to the water. Now, all there was to do was to wait for it to finish up. If nothing else, this little thing might help the man take his mind off the day.

Steam quickly filled the air, and the way the small flames danced off the tiles was enough to put Ignis more at ease. When the tub was close to being ready, he turned the light off and strolled back to the shield. Upon walking back into the living room, Ignis couldn't keep the smile off his face to see the man dozing off, his face a restful one as he sank into the cushions.

"I hate to disturb you, dear," Ignis whispered as he got closer, his gentle voice instantly roused the nearly slumbering man. Gladio twitched back into wakefulness, but he calmed back down just as quickly when he noticed the soft expression of his partner gazing at him. "The bath's ready. Come on before it cools off," he added, stepping closer to offer the larger man a hand. Slowly, and with a hiss of discomfort here and there, the two of them had their arms around one another and together they strolled down the hall.

The moment Gladio noticed the warm and welcoming light radiating from the small room, one of his brows rose in curiosity. "What's all this?" he asked as they stood before the door. "You know, you didn't have to do all this," he muttered, but the appreciation was tangible in his tone.

"I know, but I wanted to. It doesn't hurt to be a little extravagant at times, and I don't hear you complaining," he replied, closing the door behind them to keep the light from flowing in and the steam from escaping. "Now, go ahead and get in," he nearly ordered, stepping to the side so as not to get in the way. He waited patiently as Gladio stripped down and climbed into the bath, a few gasps tumbled from his mouth as he climbed into the near scorching water. But, it was the way he liked it, the perfect temperature to drain the aches and pains from his body.

The man sighed longingly and allowed his form to slide deeper into the liquid bliss as it already began to work wonders on his strained limbs. He swore, Ignis was a miracle worker. It was just water, but the fact that it was prepared with such love and care somehow made it ten times more effective than if he had just done it himself.

"Is this to your liking?" the brunet asked, knowing full well the other would say it was even if it wasn't. But, when Gladio replied, there was no lying there, and the adviser's heart lightened at the sound of his satisfaction. The brute was so absorbed into the luxuries, that he barely noticed the other climb in after he did until he was setting himself down across from him. "Give me your leg," he ordered, making it quite clear it wasn't a suggestion. Snorting to himself at the order, the brute did as he was asked and permitted the brunet to take the limb.

When it was in his hold, Ignis started with the man's foot and started pressing his thumbs firmly into the muscles, easily working out the stiffness. He hummed to himself and clicked his tongue at the tightness that resided there. "You weren't lying about it being a stressful day," he muttered as he moved on to another spot. All the while, the shield was letting out small and grateful groans as he melted into the foamy water. That combined with the calming scent of the candles, he could fall asleep right here with no problem.

"Told you...trainees are better than they've been in previous years. For once, I'm struggling to make sure I'm still one step ahead of them," he mumbled, eyes now closed and head leaned back against the cool tiles.

"Still, you don't need to be overdoing it out there," Ignis reminded, now trailing his hands up to the man's calf. This one was quite a bit more tense, and he even caused Gladio to jerk and involuntarily pull away every now and then with the touch.

"Sorry, I'm trying to be as gentle as I can, but I also need to get these kinks out," he apologized, easing up only slightly. "If it's too much, just let me know and I'll ease up," he offered. Gladio simply shook his head. Sure it was painful, but it also felt so damn nice at the same time, so he couldn't complain. In the end this would be so worth the temporary pain it was causing.

This kept up until the adviser finally worked his way up to the thigh, and he was now leaning forward in order to reach. This was the spot that really had Gladio shifting, the part of his body that screamed the most from the efforts of the day. "You...really know what you're doing, huh?" Gladio sighed through partially clenched teeth as the adviser continued to press firmly into his flesh. Eventually though, it got easier to tolerate as the pains were worked out, chased away by the smaller man's elegant and expert touch.

Once Ignis finished with that leg, he moved on to the next and the process was started all over again. By now, the water was lukewarm, but neither of them seemed to notice or mind. It was still nice just being there together, basking in the warm glow and the presence of one another. Now finished with both legs, Ignis leaned back and made a swirling motion with his hand. "Turn around," he instructed, pushing himself back and closer to the other wall. Gladio instantly realized what he wanted and complied immediately.

Now that his legs were no longer begging him for some relief, he rotated his body to face the other way and he slowly backed closer to the other man. Without warning, the brunet placed his hands on either of the larger man's shoulders and began doing the same. He massaged and lovingly traced his fingers over the throbbing muscles as those, too, were kneaded and stripped of the worst of the aches.

In the middle of the massage, Ignis tilted his head forward, his hot breath brushed over the brute ear and elicited a shudder from him. Lingering there for only a moment, he moved a bit closer until his lips passed over his earlobe and then closer to the man's neck. "We haven't done anything this romantic in a while, have we?" he asked before pressing his lips against the tender skin of the man's neck and nibbled at it softly.

Gladio trembled with the action, and he subtly shook his head, afraid to open his mouth at the moment. He didn't trust what would come out if he did. All the while, Ignis grinned to himself, knowing exactly what he was doing. Sometimes Gladio was just too easy to make squirm. When they first met, he never would have known the guy to be such a softie behind closed doors. He was always so coarse and rough around the edges. But the moment he finally opened up to the adviser, it was like a completely different person. And he loved that, it was like his own little secret, a side of the strong and honorable shield that only he would know about. And he was completely greedy about it as well, he didn't want a single other soul to know about this side of him.

"You know, I think we still have half a bottle of wine. What do you say I go pour us a glass?" Ignis asked, his mouth still teasing the side of his neck. Slowly, it got closer and closer to his face until it ghosted over his jaw.

Gladio let out a surprised and pleasurable gasp, but he composed himself quickly. "Yeah," he whispered, voice tight with forced control, "that sounds pretty nice."

Ignis left behind a few small and tantalizing kisses as he slowly and carefully stepped out of the tub to head back to the kitchen. While he did that, the brute leaned back again, meaning to milk this moment for all it was worth. The guy was right, they didn't do this kind of stuff nearly enough anymore, he honestly missed it. Then again, maybe this kind of stuff was more special and enjoyable when it was few and far between. He smiled to himself as he thought about it, and that expression deepened when he heard the well-placed steps draw closer once more.

The brunet cautiously stepped back in, extra careful not to spill any of the heavenly drink. Once in place, he reached one around and handed it over to the other. It was taken with a small muttering of thanks and the both of them took a minor sip of the deep red. Gladio sighed with contentment and leaned his head back, allowing it to rest against Ignis' bare chest as he again merged into the water, letting it carry him off into a world of pure bliss. This was really the life, and he considered himself so damn lucky to find someone like Ignis. No one else knew just what he needed like this man did.

Then, just when it couldn't get any better than it was now, the adviser weaved his free fingers through his dark locks, starting with the hairline and gradually stroking down the back, all the way to the base of his neck.

"I really owe you for all this," the brute muttered, half lucid.

Ignis let out a small hum of acknowledgement as he continued to run his fingers through his hair. "Don't be ridiculous, it's my pleasure. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't spoil you from time to time. You work hard, and you have a difficult job to do. An important one on top of that. Trust me, if anything, this is me paying you back for all the efforts you put forth," he whispered, pausing to slide his hand under the man's chin. Gently, he tilted Gladio's head back until he could see into those deep and twinkling ambers.

The shield did the same, stared into those piercing jade eyes for just a moment before another kiss was placed quite aggressively on his lips. It took the larger man completely by surprise and he had no idea how to react to it other than to return the gesture. It was held there for a solid few seconds until Ignis finally pulled away.

"What was that all about?" Gladio asked, the kiss catching him off guard more than anything. The question just slipped out, but not sounding the least bit put off by it. If anything, he wouldn't have minded if it had gone on for longer than that.

"I just felt like it," the adviser replied, leaving it at that. "You don't have any objections, do you?" he questioned, already knowing what the answer was going to be.

The shield chuckled lowly to himself and leaned closer into the other. "Of course I don't, just caught me off guard was all," he said, shivering as he turned slightly to his side. "In fact, wish this could last a bit longer, but I think that water's starting to get cold," he informed, voice ragged down with disappointment.

"Indeed," Ignis responded, sharing the same tone as the other. "But no matter, I should get dinner started anyway, I've already waited long enough." The brunet waited until Gladio was ready though, patiently sat there until the larger man eventually made the first move to get out. Next, he followed, letting all the water out and blowing out all the candles. In a matter of minutes, both were again dressed and heading back to the living room. "Feel free to sit in here and relax, I'll let you know when the food's ready," he offered, not wanting Gladio to lift a single finger after the intense day he's had. It was the least he could do, anything to ease the burden that bore down on his broad shoulders.

"I honestly don't deserve you sometimes," the brute breathed out as he returned to his chair. It was such a relief, most of the stiffness was gone and he was able to fully relax against the furniture.

Ignis walked by to brush a hand across the larger man's upper arm as he headed to the kitchen. "I was just thinking the same. I may not be able to do a whole lot for you, but so long as I can create a welcoming home for you to come back to, then perhaps it is enough." According to Gladio, though, it was far more than enough, and he could never get that through the man's stubborn head.

"Well, you do a damn good job of that," he replied. "Trust me, I wouldn't dare ask for anything more."


End file.
